The “Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) – Expanding Role within the DoD Maintenance Enterprise” presented by Universal Synaptics was voted the Winner of the 2012 “Great Ideas” Competition.

This is the second “Great Ideas” win for Universal Synaptics and the IFDIS. The first win came in 2010, that presentation focused on the innovative and advanced technology contained in the IFDIS and an initial United States Air Force (USAF) case study that produced a 25 times return on investment and tripled the reliability of F-16 Radar components.

The IFDIS has now successfully demonstrated its effectiveness on 31 different case studies, the 2012 winning presentation focused on the expansion of the IFDIS across the Department of Defense and highlighted a few of those success stories.

The forward movement within the Department of Defense and selection of IFDIS as a two-time “Great Ideas” Winner speaks to the hardworking and dedicated individuals at Ogden Air Logistics Complex (OO-ALC), Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRC SW), Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRC SE), the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Program, Universal Synaptics and Total Quality Systems (TQS).

For additional information on the Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) please visit www.USynaptics.com today.

The post NCMS Partner Company Universal Synaptics Voted as the Winner of the 2012 “Great Ideas” Competition at the Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

April 2012

Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to:

listserv@listserv.ncms.org with “subscribe CTMANewsletter” or “unsubscribe CTMANewsletter” in the message body.

---

Following the 2012 CTMA Symposium, we announce the following Project Opportunities:

Product Life Cycle Management for Aircraft Sustainment and Support

The purpose of the project is to support the Sustainment Technologies for Aircraft Depot Maintenance configuration management of 3D design models for all modern aircraft and to leverage design re-use capabilities to reduce costs. In the current depot environment, engineering and production information is often insufficiently managed, and does not always incorporate knowledge of the true state of manufacturing or repair requirements. This state provides faulty baselines based on infeasible plans and, therefore, schedules, and provides skewed estimates of the resource requirements necessary to complete a given workload. With a Digital/Virtual Depot one can reduce cycle-times by using proven re-usable process for all maintenance and repair, along with simulating those work flow activities to optimize through-put. This would include resource models of shop layouts, equipment and capabilities of all Fleet Readiness Center facilities.

Based on the following reasons FRC SW was chosen for this project on behalf of the entire FRC
Command community:

• FRC SW extensive efforts in support of critical F/A-18 life extension efforts which
  involves elaborate repair design and manufacture of complex CNC parts.
• FRC SW extensive investment already made in Advanced Measurement Systems and
  Reverse Engineering Lab environment and connected to RDT&E.
• FRC SW development and utilization of the 3MS process for creating validated 3D
  models from 2D blueprints for local manufactured items.

The explicit goal is to use this investment to leverage best practices and replicate a PLM Enterprise roll out later for all FRC’s and NAVAIR.

Interested participants should contact Dana Ellis, danae@ncms.org, (360)782-1370.

 

Achieving Optimal Test Application Migration

Depot repair activities throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) are dealing with the
obsolescence of automated test equipment on a mammoth scale. A large percentage of existing test hardware used to diagnose, repair and resupply failed weapons system components is in need of replacement due to inability to support and repair the test equipment itself. An even larger problem encountered with addressing the test hardware obsolescence is the need to retain the Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) that is already sunk cost in test application software that resides on the obsolete equipment. The cost related to the NRE is orders of magnitude more than the test hardware itself and offers ample opportunities where technology can be injected to mitigate those related costs.  Strategies for moving the existing test applications range from brute force application rewrites to attempting to use the same languages on the modern test platforms. All the strategies suffer from various test system nuances that have plagued the test industry for years, most of which are caused by the wide variance in computer to instrumentation communication and control scenarios that proliferate with provider and feature differentiation. Technologies that can provide a bridge from applications that are essentially locked to legacy hardware over to modern systems, using automated strategies, would provide cost savings in excess of the platform replacement costs themselves.

This project includes the injection of 2 more technological advancements to the ConVEx toolset. First a legacy to modern test resource pre-allocator functionality and second an automated straight wire Interface Test Adapter designer. With the deployment of ConVEx in several depot environments, there has been ongoing analysis as to where further efficiencies can be accomplished to better automate the ConVEx legacy to modern test application retarget process. The analysis is showing that a predominant amount of the ConVEx practitioner’s time is spent in a process referred to as allocation. Two kinds of allocation are accomplished in transferring legacy applications to modern systems. They are resource allocation and path allocation. Resource allocation is the process of assigning appropriate instrument capability that can accomplish each signal functionality required in a test definition. Path allocation is the process of defining the wires and switches in the test station and test adapter that are to provide the connections from the test station resources to the UUT connection locations that are specified in the test definition. It should be clear that the 2 types of allocation are somewhat mutually dependent. For instance if a resource that can do a certain job is allocated and it is found that a path to the UUT cannot be provided from that resource then a different resource might need to be allocated. So the automated allocation process is iterative between resource and path allocation in the current implementation. Current data shows that for typically complex test applications, ConVEx practitioners can produce new test applications from legacy applications for their new test platform targets in 6 to 8 man weeks. This is a striking difference from a typical test application rewrite that could take anywhere from 6 to 12 man months. The goal for the new technology insertion would be to reduce the transition process further down to 3 to 5 man weeks, which is roughly a 40% to 50% decrease from current nonrecurring engineering costs when ConVEx is used. Using very conservative  figures this means approximately $50,000 in savings per test application. Depending upon the station and systems being transitioned there could be hundreds or thousands of test applications that are eventually transferred. That would mean overall cost savings from 10 to 100 million dollars that could be further mitigated when the technologies are implemented.

Interested participants should contact Jeff Walker, Jeffw@ncms.org  (360)782-1370.

 

Engine Reliability Data Error and Cost Reductions Through IUID Technology

The USAF T56 engine Program Office has implemented Workscope Optimizing Tools since 2006. These tools recommend optimal repair workscopes based on the underlying reliability and cost of repair options. The success of the program in improving T56 reliability has been directly tied tothe quantity and quality of data collected at the depot and in the field through the use of the Maintenance In-Depth Maintenance Data Collection System (MIDCS) database within the USAF’s Data Repository Center (DRC). Valid reliability data has allowed for proper workscoping at the component level to optimize costs within each workscope.

The benefits from this implementation have been substantial. The USAF has enjoyed a 25% reliability improvement through the use of the workscoping tool. The development of Workscope Optimization Tools is data-intensive. Indeed, the removal times and observed failure modes of numerous engine parts must be manually collected, not only at the depot, but also at Intermediate Repair sites. Manual data collection creates two significant problems. First, it introduces error through the incorrect recordings that are transcribed and entered into government systems. Secondly, it is expensive. Not only are serial numbers written down, but they are subsequently key-punched into databases. The burden this places on field units is substantial and consequently, requests to track additional engine parts are often rejected by the field simply because the data recording process is so labor-intensive.

Under this project, the collection of engine component reliability data through IUID means will be piloted. Specifically, this project will:

• Pilot, and if necessary, simulate the use of IUID on engine parts to support the Workscope Optimization Tool development process.
• Measure the time savings associated with the use of IUID vs manual collection of engine data.
• Measure and compare the error rates of manually and IUID collected data sets. In this regard, the project will refer to previous work that baselined the errors in the reliability data sets.
• If appropriate, build a business case for the widespread adoption of IUID as a way to improve data quality and reduce the cost of data collection.
• This will be accomplished on engines that are using the workscoping tools currently within the AMC and AFSOC commands.
• IUID data will be downloaded directly into the USAF’s reliability MIDCS data base at each event. This will prevent the need for USAF personnel to document the component details at each removal event.

This process will set the path for tracking components relevant to engine reliability and cost without burdening maintainers resulting in further cost savings from current implementation efforts. The developed program may also be implemented by other engine programs to further improve their reliability data for subsequent analysis.

Interested participants should contact Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org, 734-995-7038.

 

DoD Airframe and Engine Fastener Removal – e-drill Cost Reduction and Process Improvement (e-CRPI)

Aerospace fastener removal is a labor-intensive process with high damage rates. The e-drill is an alternative to the standard mechanical drilling process. Low productivity, high damage rates, repetitive motion injuries, and the FOD associated with thousands of drill shards were common and accepted. E-drill technology dramatically improves aerospace fastener removal operations.

This project will produce a standard e-drill fastener removal specification package consisting of qualification test processes, test facilities, training specifications and training qualification tests, across all DoD aerospace platforms, including supervisor and operator training, field testing, and implementation support at seven major facilities including three Navy Fleet Readiness Centers (SW, E, S), all three Air Force Air Logistics Centers, and the Corpus Christi Army Depot.

By targeting e-drill testing on the fasteners with the highest removal cost (labor, consumables, damage, and ergonomics) while factoring in quantity of removals, the project will deliver the following benefits:

1. 50% reduction in labor costs on the targeted applications.
2. 75% reduction in airframe damage-related costs, which include MRB costs and replacement of parts that are damaged beyond repair from mechanical drilling of fasteners.
3. Reduced ergonomic risk factors when compared to conventional fastener removal methods including force, posture, vibration, repetition, compression, duration, and noise.
4. Reduced FOD – the only FOD left by the e-drill is the fastener head and stem – the metal that is removed from the fastener during the e-drill process is captured within a closed loop vacuum, filtered, and recycled through the system.
5. Reduced Cycle Time and Improved Material Readiness – by speeding up the fastener removal

Interested participants should contact Bill Chenevert, billc@ncms.org, 734-995-7989.

Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS)

The Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System (IFDIS) is a tester that was specifically designed to fill the conventional ONE circuit at a time testing void. The IFDIS tests the LRU / WRA chassis wiring and identifies the precise location of each defect by monitoring ALL of the circuits in the Unit Under Test (UUT) individually, simultaneously and continuously (no scanning, sampling or multiplexing), detecting any intermittent event even as short at 50 nanoseconds (0.00000005 seconds). This quantum leap in test technology enables the chassis wiring problems to be easily repaired, as the root cause of the fault that drove the equipment item in for repair is accurately identified and isolated. Repairing the defect is usually trivial; finding the defect has always been, and continues to be, the problem. The proposed project is demonstrating that the IFDIS will efficiently and reliably detect and isolate the intermittent faults in the F-16 Weapon System Night Vision Data Transfer Unit (NVDTU). This will be accomplished by developing the needed hardware and software to continuously and simultaneously monitor ALL circuit paths in this Line Replaceable Unit chassis using the IFDIS, to detect and isolate to their precise location each intermittent circuit.

This project will demonstrate that by using the IFDIS, the intermittent faults in the NVDTU can be detected, isolated and repaired. As a result, the reliability of the NVDTU will be substantially increased, the cost of maintaining the NVDTU will be reduced, and currently “unrepairable” NVDTUs will be repaired. Additionally, the time required to repair NVDTUs will be reduced (based on experience with other IFDIS tested LRUs). Utilizing the limited IFDIS capability at OO-ALC to test the MLPRF has already yielded an 18 times return on investment by returning to service MLPRFs that had previously been considered “unrepairable,” and by more than doubling the MLPRF reliability.

One of the deliverables for this project is a testing specification for detecting intermittent faults.

Interested participants should contact Dana Ellis, danae@ncms.org, (360)782-1370.

 

Multibeam Laser Additive Manufacturing for Efficient Part Manufacture and Repair

The project team proposes the development of Multiple Beam Laser Additive Manufacturing technology to address the shortfalls of today’s technology and to significantly broaden the applicability in DoD’s maintenance tasks. Multibeam LAM deploys several low power beams, each precisely controllable and with a minimum heat input thus enabling high precision, fine features and excellent surface finish. The single beams either work in parallel to scale productivity without sacrificing precision or are superposed in a single spot creating material and application specific tailored heat profiles that will significantly expand the applicable material spectrum. Precise control of the heat cycle during material deposition will allow processing a wide spectrum of high-strength steels and super alloys used in jet engines and gas turbines and will also be advantageous for the deposition of gradient materials.

The innovative thrust areas of the proposed solution are:

• -High productivity, high precision LAM through the use of multiple medium power lasers
• Deposition of challenging materials, such as super alloys or gradient materials through optimized pre- and post heating by tailored spot geometries
• Real time process monitoring for consistent quality
• Easy to use, low cost system enabled by compact, low cost diode lasers integrated with the nozzle in a compact end effector.

Interested participants should contact Bill Chenevert, billc@ncms.org, 734-995-7989.

---

We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred.

© 2012

The post CTMA Connector for April 2012 DOD Maintenance Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

12►

The post 2012 CTMA Symposium Photos DOD Maintenance appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The ESR will be a rugged robotic system weighing less than 20 lbs. threshold (T), 15 lbs objective (O), consisting of a robotic operator control interface, a robotic chassis platform with video capability, digital communications/audio relay modules that are adaptable to advanced sensors or mission modules, and the power supply. The ESR should possess Plug-N-Play capabilities with open software architectures allowing different payloads or modules that will enable a trained operator to remotely detect by visual or other sensors, and to confirm, mark, and neutralize Explosive Ordnances (EO). Furthermore, it may also be used for lane proofing and other combat engineer specific tasks, as well as providing support to infantry and military police operations such as urban reconnaissance. In a reconnaissance role, the ESR should detect, locate, identify, and support targeting of enemy forces. Future roles for the ESR will employ modules for other specific tasks as needed such as chemical hazard and contraband detection. The ESR should have a manipulating arm to provide increased capabilities to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in complex and urban terrain including confined areas and subterranean environments (i.e., buildings, bunkers, tunnels, sewers, caves, culverts, ditches, behind guardrails, and around bridge abutments).

The purpose of this market survey is to solicit feedback from industry and potential offerors in regards to the Engineering Squad Robot (ESR) program.  The Government is drafting cost, schedule and performance requirements for a future formal Request for Proposal (RFP); this market survey is part of the requirements development and program planning effort.  From this market survey, the Government intends to 1)Gauge industry interest in both attending a future industry day and offering future proposals for this program; 2) Understand whether there are any potential commercial products that may meet this requirement and 3) Gain voluntary feedback and analysis from industry to advise the Government on technical feasibility, technology readiness levels, and cost and schedule realism, as well as any other feedback desired by industry, of the draft requirements contained therein.

Interested companies should contact Deborah Hough, the listed Point of Contact for more information. The NCMS Point of Contact is Tony Haynes (734) 995-4930, tonyh@ncms.org.

The post Engineering Squad Robot Market Survey appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- December 2011- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

12345►

The post 2011 Defense Manufacturing Conference Photo Gallery appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Concept papers are due to NCMS by March 1st, 2012. “We are looking for projects that demonstrate strong benefits not only to the DoD but to industry as well,” states Dr. Chuck Ryan, NCMS Vice President and co-director of the CTMA Program, he adds that “strong teaming with DoD maintenance facilities is also encouraged.”

The selection criterion for project ideas includes the level of innovation, overall benefits, ability to deploy the technology within 12 months, and the strength of the team. Five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their project ideas to the DoD Senior Sustainment Leader Panel, who will ultimately choose the winning team for the Challenge as part of the 2012 CTMA Symposium, being held at the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in Coronado, CA, March 26-28, an annual NCMS symposium which showcases technologies being developed with DoD maintenance activities, and features briefings by senior DoD leaders around issues and plans for the sustainment of their fleets.

In addition, a technology showcase will be hosted by FRC-SW presenting an opportunity for NCMS membership to demonstrate new technologies that may be of interest to the DoD. Up-to-date information on the Challenge, Symposium and Technology Showcase can be found at www.ncms.org.

About NCMS:

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

About CTMA:

The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

The post Defense Partners with NCMS in $100,000 Maintenance Technology Challenge appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Innovative Metal-Joining Project Reduces Warfighter Vehicle Weight while Offering Superior Safety and Build Efficiency

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 29, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) was awarded its tenth National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2011 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) this week in Anaheim, CA. Attracting more than a 1,000 attendees from the DoD, Armed Services, Industry, and Academia, the conference strengthens military and industrial capability through innovation, collaboration and strategic investment.

The award-winning collaborative team, managed by NCMS, brought together several small companies including Gravikor, the Michigan Research Institute, and SpaceForm Welding Solutions as well as the U.S. Army PM Light Tactical Vehicles division and the Marine Corps Maintenance Center Albany. The project team’s objective was to develop solutions for lighter, stronger military vehicles, allowing for the utilization of the latest lightweight armor solutions and improving overall maintainability. The awarded project, Deformation Resistant Welding of Space Frame Structures to Reduce Weight in DoD Ground Vehicles,¨ applied new innovations in welding techniques to dramatically reduce time and weight associated with traditional vehicle space-frame construction.

The team created a design for a new cage structure that would completely replace the current body structure in the military’s ubiquitous HMMWV (Humvee) platform. The NCMS team scrapped traditional old-school welding techniques in favor of deformation resistance welding an approach that produces atomically clean surfaces between metals to be joined. The result is a near-perfect surface bond with many benefits over the traditional approach:

• Elimination of weld fillers cuts weight, corrosion targets, and weak spots
• Deformation-welded surfaces offer a considerably stronger bond
• Easily supports joining of unlike metals, such as aluminum and titanium
• Fully compatible with advanced composite armor technologies
• Entire weld process is nearly 1,000 times faster than the traditional method

The solution is cost-feasible as well, requiring little additional equipment and practically zero added investment. We needed a cost effective, producible cage structure that will support mounting lighter composite armor and various vehicle attachments,¨ said Dr. Chuck Ryan, Vice President, Technology at NCMS and Program Manager of the project. It needed to be stronger, lighter, and very importantly cheap and production ready. With this technology we achieved those goals and significantly reduced the overall vehicle weight.¨

The Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA)-funded project demonstrated the potential for a substantial weight saving (~1,500 lbs) with a comparable protection level to the current FRAG 7 HMMWV.

Other advantages through the use of the DRW Space Frame Design include:

• ~50% reduction in required parts
• Rapid manufacturing process for cage structure
• Fully bolt in kit (no welding at the depot level)
• Requires no major modification to current HMMWV chassis
•  Improved ingress and egress for end user
•  Increased rollover protection versus standard HMMWV

Rick Jarman, President & CEO of NCMS, was asked to present all of the evening’s Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards, including the honor his own company received for this project. These are the types of innovative technologies collaboration produces,¨ said Jarman, “at NCMS, we believe that true innovation lies at the intersection of talent, investment and infrastructure an intersection that you can only reach by collaborating. This project is another win for our portfolio of successful collaborations. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and its innovation not just for this success, but because solutions like this save lives every day.¨

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

National Center for Manufacturing Sciences 3025 Boardwalk Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108-3230 (800)222-6267

The post NCMS Wins Tenth Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

ANN ARBOR, MI – November 28, 2011. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) “No-Mask Electroplating” Project was awarded first place in the “Great Ideas Competition” at SAE’s 2011 DoD Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual symposium brings together thousands of government and industry representatives to exchange ideas to improve maintenance practices and procedures.

Modernization of metal electroplating with no-mask conforming anodes is an innovative NCMS R&D project that sought to address issues around electroplating such as the extensive time it takes to mask parts, inaccuracies, inefficiencies and working with plating baths which are highly toxic. NCMS collaborated with government and industry to find a single, powerful solution to eliminate masking labor, achieve faster plating times, and improve uniformity of deposits.

“The results of this project are nothing less than astonishing,” said Bill Chenevert, NCMS Program Manager for the project, “we took this 100 year old process and gave it a technologically advanced overhaul saving money, time and the environment.”

The project resulted in a:

• 95% reduction in pre-plating part preparation
• 45% reduction in plating time
• 50% increase in plating tank capacity, improving overall throughput
• $2,220,000 in immediate annual savings from the pilot parts alone

Collaborative participants on this award winning project included the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest and Advanced Tooling Corporation (ATC). The project was funded through NCMS’ Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

The team estimates that if No-Mask Conforming Anodes were deployed across the Department of Defense (DoD) over $50 Million in savings could potentially be realized with overall process improvement times of 35-50%.

The positive impact on the environment is also substantial. No-mask conforming anodes are fully reusable. The technology completely eliminates the mountains of tape, wax and other maskants – all of which must be disposed of as hazardous waste, where even brief exposure could lead to serious health complications.

About NCMS:
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, the largest cross industry collaborative Research & Development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS has over 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector. For more information on NCMS, visit http://www.ncms.org/

About CTMA:
The lifesaving Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program is a Department of Defense supported NCMS initiative that ensures American troops and their equipment are ready to face any situation, with the most up-to-date and best-maintained platforms and tools on earth.

The post NCMS Electroplating Project Wins Great Ideas Competition appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post AMPing Up American Manufacturing- President Announces Advanced Manufacturing Partnership appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- October 2011- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS is forming a new project, IUID Marking for Legacy Parts – Navy Pilot, to automate much of the non-recurring engineering for the sub class of parts that have nameplates. The project concept is to (1) use intelligent optical character recognition (OCR) technology to find nameplates on raster image scanned copies of legacy TDP, capture a snapshot of the drawing in that area, create an AutoCAD drawing of a new nameplate enhanced with an IUID mark, and create an Engineering Change Order documenting necessary TDP changes plus (2) extract relevant information necessary to populate the Navy Interactive Computer-Aided Provisioning System (ICAPS), populating a spreadsheet with the data.

For additional information please contact:

Tony Haynes
Director, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Programs
(734) 995-4930 direct, (734) 730-0759 cell
tonyh@ncms.org

The post Emerging Project- IUID Marking for Legacy Parts – Navy Pilot appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A non-profit member-funded industry association of companies in the defense and security industries, that fosters steady economic growth for the region and sustainable long-term profits for its members.

http://www.pndc.us/

The post New NCMS Member- Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The VALMT project team pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools.  The costs for current assembly practices of measuring and fitting are substantial; reducing the amount of reworking of machined parts during onsite vehicle assembly will save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars.

VALMT has been honored with a Defense Manufacturing Award and an R&D 100 Award.

From the article:

…NCMS is without doubt the U.S. leader in forming and managing complex, multipartner, cross-industry collaborative R&D programs. NCMS provides the tools that allow its members to collaborate.

Full Article as seen in Automotive Engineering Online

The post VALMT Project Cited as Example of NCMS Collaboration in Automotive Engineering Online appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- September 2011 Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

James Van Antwerp, Division Technical Director, NUWC Keyport. , Dr. Chuck Ryan, Captain S. E. Iwanowicz, Commander, NUWC Keyport and Pat Bergan, Laser Engineering Manager NUWC Keyport

NUWC Keyport was part of an NCMS team which included Koops Inc., Naval Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, General Lasertronics Corporation, Sikorsky Aircraft Company, to create an innovative solution for the refurbishment of helicopter blades.

Dr. Chuck Ryan, Pat Bergan, Laser Engineering Manager NUWC Keyport, and Captain S. E. Iwanowicz, Commander, NUWC Keyport

FRC East refurbishes up to 150 helicopter rotor blades each month. Prior to ARBSS, technicians removed the topcoat of paint using pneumatic hand orbital sanders. This slow, error-prone process demands hours of tedious labor in a sweltering, hazardous environment while wearing protection equipment to avoid toxic dust inhalation. Stress injuries, fatigue, and lost time are significant problems.

Determined to improve this process with advanced laser and vision systems, the NCMS-managed ARBSS team developed a proven automated robotic laser paint stripping technology that strips helicopter blades 75% faster than traditional methods, with practically zero error. The precision required stripping only the paint of a blade while leaving the primer coat intact thereby eliminating damage or wear to the substrate. This process is expected to save $900,000 annually, eliminates the generation of secondary hazardous waste, and provides an unprecedented level of safety and comfort for the maintainers.

The post Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Honored with Defense Manufacturing Award for DOD Maintenance appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Award Eligibility

The award is open to all.  Nominees (as many as desired) may be submitted by all the affiliated Associations/Societies of the Multi-Association Industry Affordability Task Force in any or all of the three award categories: individual, small team/group (large business), and small team/group (small business).  Although companies are strongly encouraged to (and usually do) submit nominations through one of the Associations, occasionally nominations from one of the companies represented on the Multi-Association Industry Affordability Task Force will be sent to NCAT directly.  These are considered valid nominations, but will be attributed to the most applicable association to be considered for the award.  Each Association is limited to three nominations in each of the three categories, and each association is responsible for submitting at least one nomination, including all categories.

Note:  Joint Industry/Government teams are eligible.  There are no restrictions on who can be nominated for the Individual award category—both Government and Industry individuals have won this award, often with a record of service in both regimes.

The nominees must be living at the time of their nomination.  Any individual or small group/team in the defense manufacturing community that has significantly contributed to the understanding, development, or application of manufacturing techniques, processes, methods, practices, or management throughout the nation is eligible for this award.

• Individual category nominations may be either for (1) a specific achievement in defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year or (2) a sustained record of performance and distinguished contributions in the defense manufacturing arena over a longer period.
• Small team/group from large (over 500 employees) companies should be for a specific achievement in the field of defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year.  Award is limited to 10 team members.
• Small team/group from small business (less that 500 employees) companies should be for a specific achievement in the field of defense manufacturing which culminated during the past year.  The small business should have performed the majority of the work. Award is limited to 10 team members.

2011 Nominating and Award Selection Procedure

Nominations should be provided electronically and include the following information:

• Nominator’s name, mailing address, and electronic communications contact information (phone, fax, and e-mail)
• Nominator’s title and organization/affiliation (company or association)
• Nominee’s name and title, institutional or company affiliation, and address.  For team categories please include the name of the project here.
• Category: Specify whether the nomination is for the individual or one of the small team/group categories (large or small business).  If for the team/group categories, all of the members’ names should be included as nominees (exactly as they would appear in the Award Program, should the team/group be selected).
• A summary of the action(s): the basis for the nomination (approximately 100-150 words).  This will form the basis for the “citation” to be published in the Award program distributed at the presentation ceremony should the nominee win.  Hint:  It also “grabs” the attention of the members of the Award Committee who will be evaluating the nomination.
• A separate longer statement, not to exceed three, single spaced pages (12 point “Times New Roman” or similar font preferred), with one inch margins. This will form the basis for the comparative evaluation by the Award Committee of the award nominees and selection of the award recipient(s).  Nomination details should include:

1. Technical/managerial challenges overcome
2. Significance of the accomplishment
3. Financial or technical performance benefits (should be as specific as possible, without the use of any proprietary data. In needed, use normalized data.)
4. Potential for solution to be subsequently applied beyond the original applications.

• A resume of the nominee or a brief biography for each nominee.  In the case of the team award (optional), a brief description for each of the team members and a biography/resume for the team leader(s) are appropriate.

Completed nominations should be submitted to the Awards Coordinator, The National Center for Advanced Technologies, e-mail mark.gordon@ncat.com, phone 813-899-4545, Fax 813-425-7774. Questions regarding nomination procedures or other matters may also be addressed using this contact information.

The deadline for award nomination submissions is COB, Friday, October 28, 2011.  All nominating materials become the property of NCAT.

As mentioned, for 2011 the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the lead association for the award selection process and will sponsor the award presentation at DMC.  Ms. Rebecca Taylor will chair the 2011 Industry Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award Selection Committee.  Past lead associations/societies have included:  NSIA (1995), AIA (1996, 2000, 2010), GEIA (1997, 2005), AMT (1998, 2007), AFCEA (1999), SME (2001, 2008), NACFAM (2002, 2009), NDIA (2003), and  NCMS (2004).

Award Nomination and Selection Process

NCAT forms the Award Selection Committee each year from representatives of the affiliated Associations and Societies.  The Associations and Societies solicit nominees from their member companies and then forward their nominations to NCAT by the Nomination due date.  NCAT in turn consolidates and forwards copies of each of the nomination packages to each member of the Award Selection Committee.  The members of the Award Committee then individually evaluate and rank order all of the nominees in each of the three award categories and forward their three sets of rank orders to NCAT.  NCAT then tallies the votes.  In each of the three categories the entry with the most first-place votes is the winner.  If there is a tie for number of first place votes, it will be resolved using the rank ordering (number of second place votes; if that does not resolve the tie, number of third place votes, etc.).  The Committee then meets, usually in mid November, to ratify the NCAT tally (one ratification vote per Association/Society present) and approve the selection of the winner(s) in the three categories of the Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award.

Award Ceremony

The Awards will be presented at the Defense Manufacturing Conference (Las Vegas, Nov 28-Dec 1, 2011)  The recipients of the Award(s) will be notified in advance so they can arrange to attend the awards presentation ceremony at the Defense Manufacturing Conference and receive their awards in person if they desire.  Also, the winners usually will be asked to provide a picture of the winning individual/groups for inclusion in the Awards Program.  Note:  All award recipients have in fact chosen to receive their awards in person, although sometimes not all members of the winning team have been able to attend.

NCAT Role

The National Centerfor Advanced Technologies supports the entire process including solicitation of members for the Award Selection Committee, processing the nominations and tallying the votes, putting together the Award Program, and orchestrating the Award presentation ceremony.  NCAT also hosts the ratification meeting of the Award Selection Committee (usually a luncheon meeting) and any necessary teleconferences during the nomination/selection process.

The post 2011 Industry Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards – Time for Nominations appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- July 2011- Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The VALMT project team pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools which will save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars.

NCMS teamed private industry (Automated Precision Inc., The Boeing Corporation, Siemens Energy and Automation and MAG Cincinnati Machine, LLC) and the Department of Defense (U.S. Air Force Logistics Center, Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East) for the VALMT project, to quickly develop the groundbreaking technology affordably, and with less risk than alternative “go it alone” R&D methods.

The post Volumetric Accuracy Project Highlighted in Aerospace Manufacturing Magazine appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- June 2011 Manufacturing Innovation appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- May 2011 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Koops was part of a NCMS team which included the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) – Keyport, Naval Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, General Lasertronics Corporation, Sikorsky Aircraft Company,  to create an innovative solution for the refurbishment of helicopter blades.

FRC East refurbishes up to 150 helicopter rotor blades each month. Prior to ARBSS, technicians removed the topcoat of paint using pneumatic hand orbital sanders. This slow, error-prone process demands hours of tedious labor in a sweltering, hazardous environment while wearing protection equipment to avoid toxic dust inhalation. Stress injuries, fatigue, and lost time are significant problems.

Determined to improve this process with advanced laser and vision systems, the NCMS-managed ARBSS team developed a proven automated robotic laser paint stripping technology that strips helicopter blades 75% faster than traditional methods, with practically zero error. The precision required stripping only the paint of a blade while leaving the primer coat intact thereby eliminating damage or wear to the substrate. This process is expected to save $900,000 annually, eliminates the generation of secondary hazardous waste, and provides an unprecedented level of safety and comfort for the maintainers.

The post Koops Honored with Defense Manufacturing Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- April 2011 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The 2011 Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Symposium was held April 4-6 in Quantico, Virginia.

The Symposium presented DoD Maintenance and Repair Needs requiring new technology solutions and commercial technologies that could benefit the DoD maintenance community.

At the plenary sessions technical briefs were presented from the higher levels within the DoD to outline the overall needs within each of the Services and from those a bit closer to actual maintenance operations about how they are trying to improve their particular facilities

12►

The post 2011 CTMA Symposium Photos appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS at a Glance- March 2011 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Winner Collaborative Team Small Business Category
While people may not pause to consider electroplating, the fact is, today’s world would be impossible without it. Cadmium, Zinc, Gold, Silver, Platinum, Titanium, Chrome; those and many more are integral to our daily lives.  Despite a role in every aspect of modern society, the process and technology for metal electroplating has gone largely unchanged for the past 100 years. While safety and environmental hazards have been slightly reduced, electroplating remains a toxic, wasteful, inefficient, time consuming process.

The basic electroplating process consists of taking a base part and carefully mask off any areas needing protection from the plating process, using tape and wax. Then insert it into a metal-containing solution, apply electricity around a metallic anode, and wait.   Hours or days later the part is plated.

Time consuming (masking takes hours and requires the best platers in a shop), inefficient (as much as 90% of the electrical power used to plate is wasted), dangerous (plating baths can be incredibly toxic, as is used maskant). There simply has to be a better way.

Working in tandem with CCAD and FRC West engineers, ATC, and CAI Resources, NCMS managed an innovative R&D project that sought to address the cost and environmental issues with a single, powerful solution. The project’s outcome is a completely unique approach. Called No Mask Conforming Anodes, it eliminates the masking step altogether. Each is custom-made to the part it will plate, acid-proof PVC masking is incorporated into the anode itself, which is configured to the specific part shape. This increases speed and uniformity of the metal deposit. Areas not to be plated remain protected and do not electrically communicate with the plating bath. Parts can even be plated outside a tank, with plating fluid pumped through at high speed to realize an optimal metal coat with almost no danger of hydrogen embrittlement, and reduced energy and toxic chemical usage through the elimination of typical in-tank processing facility.

During this three-phase project, the team designed and implemented several no-mask anodes for hard chromium and nickel plated parts. The particular parts were selected based on their volume, long plating cycles, labor-intensive masking and machining, and relatively high reject/rework rates.  Additionally, one part, the CH-47 Chinook Rotor Blade Tip, was selected because no repair process existed at all, so damaged parts were discarded and replaced at a cost of $258,000 annually.
By the end of the project, the new tooling developed during the course of the work had been incorporated into the each of the facility’s electroplating operations, with new tooling also provided to Warner Robbins, Aniston, and Cherry Point.

Pilots for these no-mask anodes were conducted at CCAD and FRC Southwest, and the results were nothing short of astonishing:

• 95% reduction in pre-plating part preparation
• 45% reduction in plating time
• 78% reduction in scrap or reject parts
• 50% increase in plating tank capacity, improving overall throughput
• $990,000 in immediate savings from the two most recent pilot parts tested alone

As impressive as these achievements are, one final item must not be forgotten: the technology completely eliminates the mountains of used maskant, which had to be disposed of as hazardous waste so toxic that even brief exposure could lead to serious injury or environmental catastrophe. The overall reduction in hazardous waste at the Depots is enormous.

The team estimates that if No-Mask Conforming Anodes were deployed across the DoD, a savings of over $50,000,000 could result over the next three years alone, with an overall process time improvement of 35-50%, all translating into improved readiness for the warfighter.  As a direct result of this CTMA project, Anniston, Cherry Point, Warner Robins and FRC East have been provided production-ready tooling which has generated an additional $7,280,000 savings to date.

The post 2010 NCAT DME Award Winner appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS recently collected its R&D 100 award for its Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project, which pioneered an innovative process in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools.  NCMS has won five R&D 100 Awarda which are recognized as the “Oscars of Innovation,” and honor excellence in high technology products.

Learn More about VALMT

The post VALMT Wins R&D 100 Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS celebrated the deployment of a new automated test capability system for night vision components at the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD).

This CTMA collaborative project has developed automated test equipment for night vision tubes to replace the outdated manual test equipment presently used by government and industry. This capability will reduce cycle time for returned night vision devices and significantly reduce costs by increasing the reuse of image intensifier tubes while providing better test repeatability and efficiency.

Some 10,000 tubes are returned annually from the field and are demilitarized (destroyed) due to a lack of retest verification. However, image intensifier tubes “classified for demil” in the field have subsequently successfully passed MIL-specs during re-evaluations. This automated equipment will be capable of rapidly performing all optical A-tests as required by government and industry for image intensifier tubes.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense (DoD). TYAD’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems that include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles. TYAD is the DoD’s recognized leader in the areas of automated test equipment, systems integration and downsizing of electronics systems.

The post Automated Intensifier Measurement System (AIMS) Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Photos appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS has the capability to create similar videos for your organization.  If you want help reaching your customers please contact:

NCMS Educational Services General Manager Bill Chenevert at (734) 995-7989 or billc@ncms.org

The post 2010 Modern Day Marine Video appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

“VALMT will save ship and aircraft manufacturers millions of dollars,” said NCMS Vice President Chuck Ryan. “Machine tool calibrations used to take an entire week, with VALMT the same process can be performed in a day. The benefits of this technology aren’t just time savings; it will allow for more accurate parts, reducing or eliminating expensive re-work during assembly.”

The NCMS Collaborative R&D Process teamed private industry (Automated Precision Inc., The Boeing Corporation, Siemens Energy and Automation and MAG Cincinnati Machine, LLC) and the Department of Defense (U.S. Air Force Logistics Center, Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East, and the U.S. Army Anniston Depot) for the VALMT project, quickly developing the groundbreaking technology affordably, and with less risk than alternative “go it alone” R&D methods.

“The secret to the success of NCMS R&D is collaboration,” said NCMS President & CEO Rick Jarman. “Collaboration maximizes benefits and reduces risk and cost. This award is the latest validation that the NCMS collaborative model works.”

Winners of the R&D 100 Awards are selected by an independent judging panel and the editors of R&D Magazine. The publication and its online portal serve research scientists, engineers, and other technical staff members at high tech industrial companies and public and private laboratories around the world.

R&D 100 is not the only award to honor VALMT: the technology also received a coveted Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award for outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia (the seventh for NCMS). Northrop-Grumman recently selected VALMT to improve accuracies on their large-volume machine tools used for production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The post NCMS VALMT Team Wins Innovation “Oscar” appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS will celebrate the deployment of a new automated test capability system for night vision components at the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD). This CTMA collaborative project has developed automated test equipment for night vision tubes to replace the outdated manual test equipment presently used by government and industry. This capability will reduce cycle time for returned night vision devices and significantly reduce costs by increasing the reuse of image intensifier tubes while providing better test repeatability and efficiency.   Some 10,000 tubes are returned annually from the field and are demilitarized (destroyed) due to a lack of retest verification. However, image intensifier tubes “classified for demil” in the field have subsequently successfully passed MIL-specs during re-evaluations. This automated equipment will be capable of rapidly performing all optical A-tests as required by government and industry for image intensifier tubes. Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense (DoD). TYAD’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems that include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles. TYAD is the DoD’s recognized leader in the areas of automated test equipment, systems integration and downsizing of electronics systems.

The post Automated Intensifier Measurement System (AIMS) Ribbon Cutting Ceremony appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

For more information about this project please contact Phil Callihan, NCMS Executive Director of Communications, at (734) 995-2046 or email philc@ncms.org.

The post NCMS Project Uses Laser to Remove Paint From Helicopter Blade appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The following CTMA projects were recently approved:

Corrosion Resistant Solid State Thin-Walled Component Joining for Maintenance and Repair Applications

This project is specifically targeting one of the more challenging classes of weld repair and fabrication – thin-walled components.  Thin-walled components often require the use of the highest skilled welding artisans within the depot infrastructure due to the intricate nature of avoiding burn through and component thermal warping.  To avoid this, thin-walled components (common in nearly every military platform) are often over-engineered or buttressed with thicker metal reinforcements.  These countermeasures add significant unwanted weight to the platform and also increase the corrosion prone weld filler regions that results from conventional welding.  This project seeks to develop and test a new solid state joining method that does not melt the materials to be joined thus increasing dimensional accuracy, corrosion resistance, and weld cycle time.

The new state-of-the-art technology to be explored in this project stems from the use of a novel manufacturing method called Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW), which can be utilized to join a wide variety of thin-walled components common to virtually every DoD platform.  Further, the DRW technology can be readily retrofitted into any depot facility for rapid utilization as the fundamental technology is based upon the well-known principles of resistance spot welding yet applied to large components of many shapes and sizes.

Improved Stealth and Lower Cost Operations for U.S. Naval Ships using High-Performance Cordage Deck Edge Netting

The U.S. Navy uses two styles of deck edge netting:  metallic cord netting that is durable but very heavy and difficult to repair shipboard as well as add to a ship’s radar cross section.  The other netting that is used is nylon netting that is lightweight and has no radar signature but need to replaced every 18 to 24 months due to UV degradation, shrinkage and abrasion.  This project will evaluate a new cordage net that is lightweight, has no radar signature and has a Navy tested life of five years. This netting is machine-made and promises reduced lifecycle cost.

The post CTMA Project Approvals appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post Technology Showcase Report- Albany, Georgia appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

On 28 – 29 April, FRC East hosted a Technology Showcase sponsored by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) through its Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities program (CTMA).  The showcase brought leading technology companies into FRC East to see first hand the challenges our maintainers face in order to identify innovative commercial solutions.

The Technology Showcase opened with Col. Loch providing an overview of FRC East operations and Mr. Greg Kilchenstein from OSD’s Maintenance Policy and Programs office providing an overview of maintenance technology’s role in DoD’s overarching strategy and he outlined the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities program as proven technology transition venue.  NCMS member companies were given a comprehensive tour of FRC East operations and facilities.  Next on the agenda were table top displays, strategically located throughout the depot to ensure easy access for all base personnel to see the technologies  The table top displays provided industry representatives a unique opportunity to learn about challenges faced directly by the maintainers.  The first day concluded with a networking event at the “The Pitt.”  The second day was dedicated to one-on-one industry presentations with base personnel regarding solutions with immediate potential for deployment at FRC East.

The Technology Showcase was a powerful example of how the CTMA Program fast tracks innovative technical solutions from private industry directly into the hands of DoD personnel to increase systems availability while reducing cost.

NCMS members displaying technology included DIT-MCO International, Aging Aircraft Consulting, LLC, Superior Controls, iMAST/ARL (Penn State), Stratasys, Eclypse International, Adapt Laser Systems, Automated Precision, Inc., Aerowing, Imaginestics, LLC, Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc.,  Spectro Inc., GSA Service Company,  POM Group, REI Systems, Inc., and Pendaran Inc.,

Three CTMA projects have been formed to immediately meet FRC East needs:

• Wiring Shop Modernization – upgrade the capability to build and test wiring harnesses, currently very labor and time intensive.
• Automated Robotic Blade Stripping System (ARBSS) – Provide a reliability upgrade and training.  In addition, assess the challenges for wider deployment of automated paint stripping technology.
• Large Area Inspection of Composite Parts- evaluate and identify improved methods for detecting damage to composite aircraft components.

The Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Program is collaboration between the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, its member companies, and the Department of Defense (DoD).  Under an historic Cooperative Agreement between NCMS and the OSD Office for Maintenance Policy and Programs,, NCMS and its member companies co-sponsor technology development, deployment and validation with DoD organic maintenance activities.  The current focus is the use of maintenance related technologies to reduce the costs associated with maintenance and rebuild of weapons systems as an element of the overall DoD maintenance strategy.

By partnering with NCMS government services members, the organic DoD maintenance activities are able to quickly assess the benefits of new manufacturing technologies in their own facilities, working side-by-side with industry leaders solving manufacturing problems through collaboration.

NCMS is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortium in the U.S. devoted exclusively to maintenance technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has nearly 25 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

The next Technology Showcase will be 8 – 9 June at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Maintenance Center in Albany, Georgia.

The post NCMS Technology Showcase Brings Industry Innovation to FRC East appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Please plan to participate in our next Technology Showcase.

DATE:            June 8-9, 2010

LOCATION:    Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Maintenance Center, Albany, Georgia.

This is an exclusive opportunity for NCMS members to display technologies for managers, engineers, and artisans at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Maintenance Center, Albany, Georgia.

• Reverse Engineering capabilities
• Corrosion Prevention technologies
• Training
• Data management
• Fluid analysis for field and FARM applications
• Automation Technologies
• Technologies to reduce water usage
• Technologies to reduce or reuse waste streams
• Technologies that will reduce energy usage or provide renewable capabilities
• Embedded technologies/predictive maintenance capabilities
• Advanced surface repair equipment
• Lasers
• Upgraded CNC equipment
• Plant equipment management tools (CFAMs)
• Heat treating capabilities.
• Hardening (Case), carburization, artificial aging of aluminum, stress relief/stabilization, annealing, etc.

The post SAVE THE DATE- Technology Showcase Albany, Georgia appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Aerospace Engineering & Manufacturing Magazine has a great article highlighting the success of the award-winning NCMS-CTMA Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project.

…One of the most vexing catch-22s in large-part machining appears to have finally been caught. Rapid volumetric compensation for high accuracy in large-scale five-axis machining is now within the grasp of the manufacturing community.

Why is this significant? Large components are often painstakingly crafted from numerous smaller components because the best machining technologies are not accurate enough to achieve the tight tolerances on large monolithic parts that could reduce part count and assembly time

…A joint project of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences called Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT)—involving Mag Industrial Automation Systems, Automated PrecisionInc. (API), Boeing, and Siemens—recently completed development of a rapid, and hence game-changing, approach to volumetric error compensation. Created especially for large and multi-axis machines, the system achieves the goals set by the design consortium: to reduce the downtime needed to determine necessary volumetric compensations from weeks to a day or less via a simple automated process that improves a machine tool’s volumetric performance by 50% or more.

Full Article

VALMT Podcast

The post Aerospace Engineering & Manufacturing- VALMT Project Game Changer in Large-Part Machining Accuracy appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

REGISTER NOW!
You have until COB Wednesday 4/21
to sign-up for our third Technology Showcase
FRC East, 28-29 April, 2010.

Please plan to participate in the third Technology Showcase to be held April 28-29, 2010.

This is an exclusive opportunity for NCMS members to display technologies for managers, engineers, and artisans at the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East Maintenance Center in Cherry Point, North Carolina. The first day of the event will be for technology displays followed by a day of follow-up meetings with FRC personnel on potential applications.

FRC East is currently interested in the following technologies:

• Cleaning
• Data Collection Management
• Non-Destructive Inspection
• Dimensional Measurement
• Stripping/Coating Removal
• Coating/Plating Technologies
• Direct Digital Manufacturing
• Surface Finishing
• Analysis
• Composites

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038.

The post Register Now! Technology Showcase Update- FRC East- Cherry Point, NC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

12►

The post 2010 CTMA Working Symposium Photos appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent recently paid a visit to the NCMS West  office in Washington State.  Photo (left to right) NCMS staff Michael Fancher, Jeff Walker, Mayor Lent, Doyle Maleche, Heidi Hottinger, Bremerton City Council Member Roy Runyon, Dana Ellis. Wes Lueders.

The post Mayor Visits NCMS Bremerton Office appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The NCMS Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project is the subject of an article in the latest issue of Quality Digest.

…The entire measurement process can be accomplished in a matter of hours rather than days, resulting in more accurate measurements and eliminating costly machine downtime. Calibration is performed in a single set-up with automated measurement of hundreds of points and is completed in just a few hours compared to alternate methods that can take much longer. By accomplishing the measurement task in such a short timeframe, the measurement data is far more reliable.

The VALMT project has pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools which can save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars anually.

Full Article

The post VALMT Project in Quality Digest appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

This is an exclusive opportunity for NCMS members to display technologies for managers, engineers, and artisans at the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East Maintenance Center in Cherry Point, North Carolina. The first day of the event will be for technology displays followed by a day of follow-up meetings with FRC personnel on potential applications.

FRC East is currently interested in the following technologies:

• Cleaning
• Data Collection Management
• Non-Destructive Inspection
• Dimensional Measurement
• Stripping/Coating Removal
• Coating/Plating Technologies
• Direct Digital Manufacturing
• Surface Finishing
• Analysis
• Composites

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038.

The post Technology Showcase Update- FRC East- Cherry Point, NC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Register Now!

Early Bird Discount ends 2 MAR, Room Block ends 3 MAR

The post 2010 CTMA Working Symposium Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Jim Dallam from MAG Industrial Automation Systems joins NCMS radio to discuss the award winning Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project.  

VALMT has pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools which will reduce the amount of reworking of machined parts during onsite vehicle assembly and save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars. 

NCMS Radio- “Collaborate, Innovate, Commercialize- Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) Project Success Story”- Jim Dallam  MAG Industrial Automation System (13:39)

Subscribe to NCMS Radio on iTunes- search for NCMS.

The post NCMS Radio Podcast: Collaborate, Innovate, Commercialize- Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) Project Success Story appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Early registration is now available for the 11th Annual Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) Working Symposium being held March 22-24 in Quantico, Virginia

The Symposium will include briefs from each of the armed services on their process for determining maintenance requirements, as well as project briefs from Department of Defense (DoD) sponsored programs involving sustainment.

This event offers the unique opportunity to network with technology providers and DoD personnel while displaying technology.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu at (734) 995-7038 or debral@ncms.org.

The post 2010 CTMA Symposium “Sustaining Technology Through the 21st Century…and Beyond,” March 22-24, 2010 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Please plan to participate in our third technology showcase to be held April 28-29, 2010.

This is an exclusive opportunity for NCMS members to display technologies for managers, engineers, and artisans at the Fleet Readiness Center East Maintenance Center in Cherry Point, North Carolina.  The first day of the event will be for technology displays followed by a day of follow-up meetings with FRC personnel on potential applications.

For additional information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038.

The post Technology Showcase- Fleet Readiness Center East- Cherry Point, NC appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Please plan to participate in our third technology showcase to be held April 28-29, 2010.  This is a chance to bring your technologies to the attention of the managers, engineers, and artisans at the Fleet Readiness Center East maintenance center in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

For additional information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu, debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038.

The post Technology Showcase- Fleet Readiness Center East (Cherry Point, NC) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Current DoD Participants: Marine Corps Maintenance Center, Albany; Marine Corps Maintenance Center, Barstow; Army Project Manager, Light Tactical Vehicles; Marine Corps Program Executive Officer, Land Systems

The DoD is facing severe challenges in their tactical ground combat equipment to provide added ballistic protection and survivability to the warfighters, but the added weight increases rollover events, and decreases vehicle performance such as fuel economy, speed, and acceleration.  In addition, vehicle suspension and engine wear are further taxed by the added weight.

This project will work with the PM-Tactical Vehicles to identify weight savings opportunities on the HMMWV applicable to currently fielded vehicles.  The project will:

1. Design an appropriate solution retrofit structure applicable to the deformation resistance welding (DRW) method for the HMMWV.
2. Fabricate the retrofit DRW subcomponent/frame.
3. Mount the subcomponent/frame onto the platform.
4. Validate the performance of the retrofitted platform.
5. Assess the technology as a repair manufacturing method for other systems such as pipe repair on ships.

For more information please contact:  

NCMS Vice President Chuck Ryan, chuckr@ncms.org, (734)995-4905.

The post CTMA Project Opportunity- NCMS Lightweight Structure Fabrication Using Deformation Resistance Welding appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Don Bell (WR-ALC), Sam Easley (Boeing), Ben Thompson (FRC-East), Rick Jarman (NCMS),

Rich Curless (MAG Industries), Lisa Phelps (Boeing)

Members of Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project team collect the Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2009 Defense Manufacturing Conference.  It is the seventh such award for NCMS.  The Defense Manufacturing Excellence Awards are presented by the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT) for outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia.

The VALM project team pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools.  The costs for current assembly practices of measuring and fitting are substantial; reducing the amount of reworking of machined parts during onsite vehicle assembly will save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars. 

The post NCMS Project Team Collects Defense Manufacturing Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

"…The kind of innovation that Tony and the guys at NCMS are bringing to the table is exactly what the manufacturing industry in the U.S. needs.  Saving millions through enhanced efficiency is a building block to substantially increased competitiveness on a global stage."

Full Article- Industry is Cool: National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

The post MFG.COM VALMT Project Q&A with Tony Haynes appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Ultra Precise Calibration Process Will Save DOD Millions Annually

ANN ARBOR, MI – December 2, 2009.  The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced that its Volumetric Accuracy for Large Machine Tools (VALMT) project has pioneered an innovative process in establishing a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools.  The costs for current assembly practices of measuring and fitting are substantial; reducing the amount of reworking of machined parts during onsite vehicle assembly will save the Department of Defense (DOD) and the commercial aircraft industry millions of dollars. 

“The innovative VALMT project will save the DOD millions while ensuring weapon systems are mission ready and available for our warfighters when they need them,” said NCMS Vice President Chuck Ryan.  “This technology will also pave the way for reducing the manufacturing costs of commercial ships and aircraft, benefiting both government and industry.”

The success of the VALMT project was recognized this week with a Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award presented by the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT), the seventh award of its kind given to NCMS for its outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia.

“This groundbreaking process will dramatically reduce assembly and fitting costs which represent up to 1% of the total cost per aircraft,” said Sam Easley, Engineer/Scientist, Metallic Processes at The Boeing Company.  “On large programs like the F-18 or the 700 series, we could save $100 Million per year.”

“VALMT has the potential to save the U.S. Navy money and shave valuable time off of vessel construction costs, putting assets where they are most needed, with the warfighter.” said Faris Ibrahim, Mechanical Engineer of the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center.
 
The VALMT project teamed private industry (Automated Precision Inc., The Boeing Corporation, Siemens Energy and Automation and MAG Cincinnati Machine, LLC) and the DOD (U.S. Air Force Logistics Center, Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East, and the U.S. Army Anniston Depot) using the NCMS R&D collaborative process to quickly develop this groundbreaking technology.

“The success of the VALMT project rests heavily on the technical expertise and collaborative R&D experience of the NCMS and its partners,” stated Richard Curless, CTO at MAG Industrial, “The NCMS has been a leader in bringing government and industry together to create usable technologies for over 23 years and this project is just another of many feathers in their proverbial cap.”

About NCMS

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest cross-industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, and is the only consortia effort in the U.S. devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. NCMS has over 20 years of experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, and is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Tony Haynes at (734) 995-4930 or tonyh@ncms.org

The post NCMS Team Honored With Record Seventh Defense Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

This invocation was delivered at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Laser Coating Removal System for Composite Helicopter Rotor Blades production unit deployment at Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East.

LORD, Your creation makes it clear,

That You’re the Master Engineer,

The universe and single cell,

Reveal your handiwork quite well,

In grandest scope and fine detail,

By Your design, Your grace won’t fail.

A laser guided stripper prayer,

I’m sure is something rather rare,

But rare is not how you display,

Your engineering heart today,

As you have crafted every soul,

Once joined with You to be made whole.

Eternal Father, strong to save,

It was to humankind you gave,

Imagination and a will,

To craft from dreams and boundless skill,

The means to give manned flight its birth,

And then to break the bonds of earth.

This ribbon cutting marks the day,

We institute a better way,

To break the bonds of paint to blade,

Repairing helos that we’ve made,

That these birds might return to fight,

To win our wars with flawless flight.

With 53s to lead the charge,

Our celebration should be large,

H-60s and V-22s,

Will soon be making their own news,

May this great system not be beat,

‘Till Your peace makes it obsolete. Amen.

Carl P. Koch

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

The post Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Invocation from the Fleet Readiness Center East (Cherry Point) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The NCMS-CTMA project, Laser Coating Removal of Composite Helicopter Blades, successfully installed a production-ready paint stripping unit at Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks by RDML Tim Matthews COMFRC, Col.Scott Loch (Commander FRC East), CAPT Stephen E. Iwanowicz (Commander, NUWC Division Keyport) as well as remarks from maintainers from the paint stripping shop. Following the ceremony, attendees took a tour of the FRC East facilities.

12►

The post Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Photos from the Fleet Readiness Center East (Cherry Point) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS won the award for the best booth in the large booth category at the Symposium.  The NCMS booth showcased four of our collaborative project teams: Kinetic Spray, AP&IG, 3FAST, and CH-53E Readiness & Reliability.

The Marines won the booth competition in the military category.  This is noteworthy because NCMS produced their video and presentation that was the centerpiece of their booth.  This broad exposure of our capabilities is leading to new business from the show.

The post 2009 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition Report appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Location: The Clubs at Quantico, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia.

Expect to learn about the services technological needs, discuss the new technology roadmap now under development, and to review current CTMA project efforts in addition to tabletop displays and extensive networking opportunities. Stay tuned for more information.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu at (734) 995-7038 or debral@ncms.org

The post SAVE THE DATE- CTMA Symposium “Achieve Technology Collaboration” March 22-25, 2010. appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The NCMS-CTMA project, Laser Coating Removal of Composite Helicopter Blades, has successfully installed the paint stripping unit at Cherry Point, which is certified for production use. We welcome people interested in seeing this unit work in production as we celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The ribbon-cutting will include remarks by RDML Tim Matthews (COMFRC/AIR), Col.Scott Loch (Commander FRC East), CAPT Stephen E. Iwanowicz (Commander, NUWC Division Keyport) as well as testimonies from the artisans from the paint stripping shop. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited on a tour of the FRC East facilities in the afternoon.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Debbie Lilu at (734) 995-7038 or debral@ncms.org.

The post Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at the Fleet Readiness Center East (Cherry Point), Wednesday, November 18, 2009 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

In August, the United States Marine Corps tapped NCMS Educational Services to produce a pair of high-impact promotional videos highlighting the Corps’ Sense and Respond Logistics initiative. “Sense and Respond is a robust new approach to tackling issues of maintenance, readiness, and lethality,” said Bob Appleton of R.W. Appleton & Associates, a chief project consultant. “It will allow the Marine Corps to be better prepared, quicker to the fight, and highly accountable for all equipment. We turned to NCMS to develop two short videos that communicate the value of this philosophy.”

NCMS Educational Services is the multimedia development and knowledge transfer arm of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. “We have produced several exciting, kinetic videos for a wide array of clients in the past,” said Bill Chenevert, General Manager of Educational Services. “This time the team really took the project far beyond what anyone was expecting. Five days of location shooting, major special effects shots; it was our most ambitious video project yet.”

The first video, debuted at the Modern Day Marine Symposium in late September, highlighted the four key elements of Sense and Respond: Asset Tracking, Serialized Item Management, Condition-Based Maintenance, and Total Lifecycle Management. Each of these foundational elements are triggered by the application of Item Unique Identifier (IUID) tags to all equipment. Once tagged, a simple hand scanner allows every end item to be tracked and monitored across its entire lifecycle, creating a holistic maintenance opportunity and a centralized data access point for all materiel.

The second video will debut at the DoD Maintenance Symposium in Phoenix on October 26-29, retelling the story of Sense and Respond and IUID as a backdrop to live presentations. “I cannot tell you what an incredible journey this has been thus far,” said Major Brian Spooner, Ground Ordnance Maintenance Officer for the Marine Corps. “I wish everyone could come to Phoenix to watch our team dazzle the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the DoD leadership, as well as the very senior leadership within all of the Armed Forces. We absolutely would not have been able to pull off such a professional product without the NCMS team.”

Originally tasked with developing e-Learning tools for corporations, NCMS Educational Services has dynamically branched out into video and multimedia production, creative services, web development, and games-based learning applications.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Bill Chenevert at (734) 995-7989 or billc@ncms.org

The post NCMS Educational Services Scores a Hit with the Marine Corps appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS made arrangements with the Department of Defense (DoD) for this technology showcase at the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD). This unique opportunity to present innovative technology solutions and meet directly with maintenance personnel was available to NCMS members and invited guests.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in DoD and employs over 5,700 workers.  TYAD’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems that include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles.

The post Tobyhanna Army Depot Technology Showcase Report appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS is seeking participants for a new forming project, Trivalent Chrome Phase II. This project will complete the initial work of Phase I, where the team developed a new chrome plating process using a trivalent chrome bath to replace the highly-toxic hexavalent chrome bath. The trivalent chrome process must produce hard chrome components that perform equally or better to the older process while still meeting all military specs. 
 
In Phase II, rigorous testing will be performed of the trivalent process to determine its applicability as a viable replacement for hexavalent chrome plating.

The Air Force and NAVAIR are the primary sponsors of the project  and additional project participants are welcome but must bring value to the collaboration.

For more information please contact:  

NCMS Program Manager Bill Chenevert at (734) 995-7989 or billc@ncms.org

The post CTMA Project Opportunity- NCMS Seeks Participants for the Trivalent Chrome Phase II appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Please stop by Booth 333 to see these member companies showcasing technology created using the NCMS collaborative process.

• REI Systems , complete predictive diagnostic and repair suite for aircraft
• Aspire Solutions, Inc., automated process & inspection guide.
• Spectro, Inc., FluidScan, quickly evaluates fluid quality using infrared spectroscopy
• Centerline, LTD., advanced kinetic spray repair process.

 For more information contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org or call (734) 995-7038.

The post NCMS Promotes Member Technology at 2009 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS seeks participants for a new forming project, IUID Markings for Legacy Parts. The project will demonstrate a system that can locate dataplates on raster images of 2D part drawings, determine a location for placing a 2D data matrix marking, create a pdf overlay of the new marking location, and create an AutoCAD Engineering Change Order for delivery to the cognizant engineering authority for action. Imaginestics is the technology provider. 

The Air Force is the primary sponsor but both Army and Navy entities will participate. As with all CTMA funded projects, additional participants are welcome but must bring additional value to the collaboration.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager Tony Haynes at (734) 995-4930 or tonyh@ncms.org.

The post NCMS Seeks Participants for the IUID Marking of Legacy Parts Project appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS has made arrangements with the Department of Defense (DoD) to sponsor a technology showcase at the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD). This unique opportunity to present innovative technology solutions and meet directly with maintenance personnel is only available to NCMS members.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is the largest, full-service electronics maintenance facility in DoD and employs over 5700 workers.. TYAD’s mission is total sustainment, including design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems that include satellite terminals, radio and radar systems, telephones, electro-optics, night vision and anti-intrusion devices, airborne surveillance equipment, navigational instruments, electronic warfare and guidance and control systems for tactical missiles.

The displays will be strategically located in Maintenance Building 1C offering the opportunity for Army personnel to visit with the various companies throughout the day. The event will conclude with a networking reception for depot personnel and participants.

Technology Showcase Web Site

For more information contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org or call (734) 995-7038.

The post NCMS Member Event- Technology Showcase October 14, 2009 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Current decontamination methods used by maintenance personnel result in exposure to dangerous chemicals and pose disposal problems.

We propose to develop and prototype a state-of-the-art automated cleaning system for weapons components, with applicability to aviation, transportation and other industry applications.  Using surface chemistry modeling methods and analysis of existing component substrates, and considering specific contaminants of each component, HPC computer modeling will pre-determine the chemical agents required to affect optimum cleaning with minimal waste generation.  The prototype cleaning system will be capable of mixing the precisely determined chemical solutions designed to break down the specific hazardous substances on contaminated, reusable components.  What we call the “C5” Unit (Chemical Composition Cleaner for Contaminated Components) will employ techniques such as high voltage ionization, phased plasma and/or ultrasonic principles, coupled with applicators, attachments, or enclosures designed specific to user needs. 

A prototype portable, on-site hazardous waste treatment system will be developed; utilizing the onboard chemical elements and/or heat, this unit will completely neutralize or effectively reduce known byproducts generated by the cleaning phase.  (The vehicle may vary dependent on specific industry/component requirements). This will further reduce personnel exposure (for example, in the case of torpedo cleaning, by eliminating the requirement for worker-staffed deep sinks and manual hazmat-grit removal) and waste generation. 

We will test the prototype and analyze by-product levels to meet EPA safe levels.

This project currently seeks commercial and Department of Defense participants with an interest in aerospace; heavy equipment/auto repair; military aircraft/ship/mechanized overhaul and weapon turn-around facilities.

For additional information contact:

NCMS Program Manager, Jeff Walker, jeffw@ncms.org (360) 782-1370, or Heidi Hottinger, heidi@ncms.org (360) 782-1370

The post CTMA Project Opportunity- Chemical Composition Cleaner for Contaminated Components: “C5 Unit” appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The safe disposal of retired naval vessels poses a huge environmental challenge.

This project will provide alternative green metal cutting methods for use during vessel disposal to reduce metal fume emissions in full compliance with Washington State and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency opacity requirements, Federal Clean Water Act, and to reduce costs during the cut-up phases of aircraft carrier disposals.

Several technologies will be evaluated as potential replacements for oxy-fuel cutting. Abrasive Water-jet cutting, inert gas, laser, mechanical cutting, and machining are potential replacement methods.  Process improvement methods will also be evaluated in an effort to control emissions from both oxy-fuel and other traditional cutting methods. Each possible replacement or improvement comes with its own unique set of problems and challenges to overcome. These challenges include efficiency, hazardous waste by-products, and other safety and environmental issues.

This project currently seeks commercial and Department of Defense participants with an interest in the disposal of naval vessels.

For additional information contact:

NCMS Program Manager, Dana Ellis, danae@ncms.org (360) 782-1370

The post CTMA Project Opportunity- Green Metal Cutting Solutions appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS recently held an exclusive technology event at the Barstow Marine Corp Logistics Base.  A dozen NCMS member companies displayed project technology throughout the base for maintenance personnel.  Maintenance Center Commander Colonel Dale Johnson III was pleased with the technology innovations highlighted during the event.

Project technologies on display included:

• Electrical Wire Integrity System (EWIS), a wiring technology quickly detects and locates wiring defects on a variety of cable and wire types.  EWIS has been recognized with Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award, which honors outstanding team performance to promote systematic process improvement and helps publicize best practices throughout the Air Force and the 2006 Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award which recognizes outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia.
• Kinetic Spray Metal Deposition a process which helps prevent corrosion and repair vehicle components.  This project won a 2007 Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award.
• Centralized Fleet Automated Management System (CFAMS) which reduces industrial vehicle maintenance costs, improving fleet mission readiness, increasing material handling productivity and the consequential velocity of critical warfighter supplies, and improving worker safety.
• Handheld Fluid Analyzer a portable, hand-held analytical tools which provides a lab-quality assessment suitable for real-time in-field use, to help implement condition based maintenance on a wide variety of vehicles.

In addition to Barstow maintainers, Department of Defense personnel from the Albany Marine Corp Logistics Base (MCLB), The Tobyhanna Army Depot, The Defense Contract Management Analysis (DMCA) Industrial Analysis Center, and Office of the Secretary of Defense participated.

The post Barstow Technology Showcase Report appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Rapid Access to Readiness-essential (RARE) Parts through Rapid Manufacturing & Repair (RM&R) Technologies

Rapid Manufacturing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a transformational manufacturing paradigm expected to supplant traditional machining and tooling processes for the fabrication of select products. This revolutionary technology builds net shape or near net shape parts layer by layer directly from CAD. Additive technologies allow part design freedoms not possible with traditional fabrication methods. Complex-multiple part configurations can be constructed in a single build, thus allowing reduction in the numbers of component parts needing assembly.

The objectives of the CTMA Rapid Manufacturing & Repair RARE parts program are to explore:

• the range and capabilities of additive technologies and the benefits that can be derived,
• AM technologies as timely solutions to RARE part replacement (legacy parts, obsolete parts, parts no longer available due to diminishing manufacturing resources),
• State of the art AM capabilities for insertion into the DoD organic maintenance base and industry.

Additionally, this program interfaces with machinery OEMs, materials and software developers to:

• facilitate the maturation and deployment of AM technologies, which now range from TRL/MRL 8 to 9 depending upon the part to be fabricated, throughout DoD organic maintenance base,
• advocate and instigate AM industry advancements, AM design guidelines, and standards development to mature to TRL/MRL 9 to 10 respectively.

The CTMA-NCMS program offers a unique platform to achieve the necessary collaborations to develop the potential of these technologies for DoD and industrial applications.

For additional information contact: NCMS Program Manager, Connie Philips. conniep@ncms.org, (386)445-2785 or cell phone – (313)618-8760.

The post Project Opportunity Rapid Access to Readiness Essential (RARE) Parts appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Exclusive NCMS Member Opportunity: Technology Showcase

Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base/Barstow, California- Wednesday, June 24, 2009

NCMS is holding an exclusive technology event for its member at the Barstow Marine Corp Logistics Base.

The Technology Showcase will feature table top displays highlighting CTMA project technologies located throughout the base to maximize access for military personnel.

A networking reception will immediately follow the Technology Showcase to promote further discussion between Marine Corps personnel and participants.

Please contact Debbie Lilu at debral@ncms.org (734) 995-7038 for additional information.

The post Technology Showcase- Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base- June 24, 2009 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Some 10,000 tubes are returned annually from the field and are demilitarized (destroyed) due to a lack of retest verification. However, image intensifier tubes “classified for demil” in the field have subsequently successfully passed MIL-specs during reevaluations.
This automated equipment will be capable of rapidly performing all optical A-tests as required by government and industry for image intensifier tubes.

Implementation of an automated test capability will provide better test repeatability, reproducibility, and improve cycle time versus the present manual test equipment.
Potential customers and/or end users will be U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps depots, as well as image intensifier tube manufacturers.

For additional information contact-

NCMS Program Manager, Lee Patch, leep@ncms.org, 734-995-4972.

The post CTMA Project Opportunity – Automated Intensifier Measurement System (AIMS) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Navy, Capt Tim Matthews, Command Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE), discussed challenges  of technology transition faced by his command

Projects meeting the immediate needs of the warfighter were highlighted, including the award winning NCMS/CTMA Enhanced Wiring Integrity System (EWIS) project.

A number of future challenges and capabilities were also identified.

While funding technology transition from legacy to state-of-the art technology is vital to the long term viability of organic depots there is  a  coherent strategy for doing so.

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- Navy, Capt Tim Matthews, Command Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Dr. Katherine Stevens, Director Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, delivered an overview of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).  The AFRL’s mission is to lead the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force.

To this end, the AFRL manages the following technology transition paths to support the warfighter:

• Industy
• Direct Transition
• Product Centers and depots
• Commercialization

AFRL manages a portfolio of technology sustainment projects to support current and future warfighters.

Right support at the Right time for the Right reasons- R3

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- Dr. Katherine Stevens, Director Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Col Dale Johnson, Commander, Maintenance Center Barstow, discussed the mission of Marine Logistics command is to provide integrated supply chain distribution and management to support Marine units in the field while maximizing their readiness and sustainability.

With a focus on the warfighter, the logistics command is committed to finding the best integrated solutions. 

This commitment poses many technology transition challenges:

• Misalignment of Acquisition and Sustainment
• Stove Piped Technology Development
• Business Process not Central to Development
• Integrated Logistics Support Elements
• Total Life Cycle Management
• Acquisition Policy and Bureaucracy
• Workforce Entrenched in old Technology/Processes

Logistics command meets these challenges by using a business focused holistic approach to material, people, money, and information.

The following NCMS projects- Automated Process & Inspection Guide (AP & IG) and Centralized Fleet Automated Management System (CFAMS), were cited as helping logistics command fulfill its mission.

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- Col Dale Johnson, Commander, Maintenance Center Barstow appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Colonel  Ron Alberto, Logistics Corps Commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot  provided an overview of the capabilities and systems at the depot including repair and overhaul, manufacturing, engineering and systems integration.  Tobyhanna Army Depot is investing in their future and the focus on maintenance technology and the continued insertion of new technology at the depot. 
 
He also highlighted  current NCMS projects  such as Automated Process and Inspection Guide (AP&IG).  This project eliminates a manual paper inspection process and replaces it with mobile data capture devices combined with a COTS software that guides the inspector through the inspection.  It will impact the inspection process on four levels (1) Process, (2) Personnel, (3) Management and (4) Analysis.

Another CTMA project that Tobyhanna is participating on is Inspection and Repair Preparation Cell that will develop a new machine to inspect and repair composite parts. 

He also mentioned the Centralized Fleet Automated Management System (CFAMS) that monitors material handling equipment using RFID technology. 

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- Colonel Ron Alberto, Logistics Corps Commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Dr. Raj Iyer, Director, Data Management/ TACOM LCMC Data Czar spoke on the Logistics Modernization Program.

The TACOM Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) integrates product data from the top floor to the shop floor.  The LMP enterprise model is the largest ERP system in the world and manages the supply and acquisition of resources across the entire DOD.  LMP is a TACOM transformation initiative not simply an ERP software deployment.

• LMP is just the first (big) stepping stone on a longer journey
• TACOM is working towards adopting commercial best practices and solutions
• Data will be created once and re-used multiple times through the enterprise 
   

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- Dr. Raj Iyer, TACOM LCMC Data Czar Director, Product Data & Data Management, TACOM Lifecycle Management Command appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

[usercontrol: /blog/user controls/gallery.ascx ImageUrl=/blog/gallery/09ctma-day2/; RepeatColumns=6]

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium Day 2 Photo Gallery appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- MajGen Scott G. West, Commanding General U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

[usercontrol: /blog/user controls/gallery.ascx ImageUrl=/blog/gallery/09ctma-day1/; RepeatColumns=6]

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium Day 1 Photo Gallery appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

John B. Johns Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Maintenance addressed the challenges faced by the Department of Defense (DOD) maintenance community.

• Assets worth over $350B
• Annual maintence budget of over $85B
• Maintained by 650,000 DoD military and civilian personnel
  and thousands of private sector companies

The maintainers must perform their duties while in support of demanding missions, in harsh environments all the time under pressure to increase cycle times and increase systems availability. 

He also identified tech insertion challenges faced by the maintenance community:

• Leadership and ownership
• Building advocacy and partnerships
• Defining and prioritizing requirements
• Identifying technology alternatives
• Developing an executable plan
• Acquiring resources
• Executing according to plan
• Sharing best practices and lessons learned

The NCMS CTMA program helps the DOD manage these challenges.

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Recap- John B. Johns Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Maintenance appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

MajGen Scott G. West, Commanding General U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command  and NCMS President Rick Jarman

12►

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium Photos appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The event offers a unique opportunity for industry to network with DoD personnel and to showcase technology.

• Don’t Miss this Opportunity to Learn about DoD Maintenance Needs!

The NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium features leaders from across all services who will discuss the importance of continuous technology insertion to ensure that our maintainers, logisticians and engineers are equipped with the capabilities which enable them to efficiently and effectively sustain materiel readiness.

Featured Speakers

Richard B. Jarman, President & CEO, NCMS

John Johns, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

Maintenance Policy & Programs

MajGen Scott G. West, Commanding General

U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command

Dr. Raj Iyer, TACOM LCMC Data Czar Director

Product Data & Data Management, TACOM Lifecycle Management Command

Col Ron Alberto, Logistics Corps Commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot

Col Dale Johnson, Commander,  Maintenance Center Barstow

Dr. Katherine Stevens, Director Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL

Capt Tim Matthews, Command Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

Does your Company have a Technology Roadmap?

Technology transition is a difficult challenge for industries under the best of circumstances.  Given the current economic climate, the future of your organization may depend on the timely deployment of new technology.

Plan on attending this compelling series to gain insight and observe DoD participants working through a technology transition roadmap.

Technology Transition Roadmapping Series

Part 1: Identifying Barriers

This panel discussion will focus on the problems and solutions to transitioning technology to the various DoD manufacturing and maintenance activities such as air logistic centers, shipyards, depots and arsenals.

In order to achieve the maximum benefits of the CTMA program as a whole, the new technologies that are developed by the individual projects must be implemented on the manufacturing floors of these activities.  But many times this technology transition does not happen quickly, and sometimes not at all.  This session will identify the barriers to technology transition faced by the CTMA program.

Part 2: Develop Resolutions to Identified Barriers to

Technology Transition

This second session will be a roadmapping event to identify the solutions to the technology transition barriers and represent them on an implementation timeline.  In this session, technology transition will encompass both transitioning from the technology provider to the maintenance activity and also the transition from one successful maintenance activity to other maintenance activities needing the same capability.

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium Final Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Hurry- it is not too late to register. Come and learn more about the importance of maintenance technology and technology insertion.

This year’s agenda will focus on highlighting available and developing technologies and the associated actions necessary to provide these technologies to our maintainers.

The 2009 CTMA Symposium promises to set new standards for agenda content and audience interest.

Our plenary speakers from across all services will discuss the importance of continuous technology insertion to ensure that our maintainers, logisticians and engineers are equipped with the capabilities which enable them to efficiently and effectively sustain materiel readiness.

Featured Speakers

John Johns, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Maintenance Policy & Programs

MajGen Scott G. West, Commanding General
U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command

Dr. Raj Iyer, TACOM LCMC Data Czar Director
Product Data & Data Management, TACOM Lifecycle Management Command

Col Ron Alberto, Logistics Corps Commander, Tobyhanna Army Depot

Col Dale Johnson, Commander,  Maintenance Center Barstow

Dr. Katherine Stevens, Director Materials and Manufacturing Directorate

Capt Tim Matthews, Command Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

The post NCMS-CTMA 2009 Symposium Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS Vice President- Chuck Ryan, Greg Kilchenstein- Senior Policy Analyst Office of the Secretary of Defense, George Ray- Garrison Manager Sierra Army Depot, Ken Ehrman- President, I.D. Systems, Inc.

Sierra Army Depot (SIAD) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to mark the successful demonstration of an innovative wireless industrial Vehicle Management System (VMS).  Centralized Fleet Automated Management System (CFAMS)- is an NCMS Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program, with the goals of reducing industrial vehicle maintenance costs, improving fleet mission readiness, increasing material handling productivity and the consequential velocity of critical warfighter supplies, and improving worker safety.

The ribbon-cutting also served as a formal introduction of CFAMS to other U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, and was attended by representatives of DoD facilities from across the United States.

SIAD’s demonstration of CFAMS capabilities focused on proving three primary areas of benefit:

• improving vehicle preventative maintenance management and reducing fleet maintenance costs;
• identifying opportunities to reduce fleet size and associated capital and operating costs; and
• reducing the costs associated with facility and equipment damage caused by vehicles.

Based on months of accumulated data, the CFAMS deployment at SIAD demonstrated that the following benefits were achievable:·

• By automatically uploading true vehicle usage data for more accurate maintenance scheduling, and by automatically alerting maintenance personnel to problematic conditions on vehicles, CFAMS showed that fleet maintenance costs could be reduced by at least 22%.
• By isolating vehicle utilization patterns by equipment type and role, CFAMS demonstrated that a fleet reduction of at least 15%-20% was immediately achievable, with a commensurate reduction in purchase outlays, fuel costs, and maintenance costs.  In addition, this fleet “right-sizing” could enable a substantial reallocation of labor to increase overall depot productivity.·
• By monitoring and recording detailed data on vehicle “impact events,” by preventing unauthorized personnel from using vehicles, and by establishing better driver accountability, CFAMS showed that the costs resulting from damage caused by vehicles could be reduced by up to 25%.
• Overall, CFAMS demonstrated that it could pay for itself and start generating positive cash flow for the depot within 12 to 16 months of deployment.

The initial CFAMS implementation at SIAD was funded through the NCMS CTMA program,  a partnerships between the DoD and private industry to facilitate development, deployment and validation of innovative commercial technologies that can provide operational benefits and cost savings for DoD maintenance activities.

SIAD is an installation of the U. S. Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) under the U. S. Army Materiel Command.  The depot’s mission is to provide worldwide logistics support for the U.S. Army, including receipt, storage, repair, shipping, maintenance, and fabrication of assets.  The depot is a Center of Industrial Technical Excellence focused on “lean manufacturing” process improvements.

For more information please contact:

NCMS Program Manager, Debra Lilu, (734) 995-7038, debral@ncms.org

The post CFAMS Ribbon Cutting Ceremony appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

McLean, Va., January 8, 2008 – QinetiQ North America, a global developer of innovative technology solutions for national defense, today announced that its FluidScan™ monitor has won the 2008 Great Ideas Competition Award presented annually by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) at the Department of Defense (DoD) Maintenance Symposium & Exhibition.  The competition recognizes promising new technologies, processes or business practices that participants decide will have a positive impact on DoD equipment maintenance.

…This device has the potential, in its simplest application, to provide lab-quality results in real-time for the soldier, marine, airman and sailor in the field under urgent conditions,” said LCDR David Scalf, Commander of the JOAP (Joint Oil Analysis Program) together with DoD’s NCMS/CTMA (National Center for Manufacturing Sciences/Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities) program.  NCMS/CTMA championed this product within the DoD community and was responsible for its submission for this competition.

Full Press Release

The post FluidScan Monitor Wins Great Ideas Symposium Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The CTMA project "Centralized Fleet Automated Management System", (CFAMS) has recently completed a successful pilot at Sierra Army Depot (SIAD).  To celebrate this milestane a Ribbon Cutting and Demonstration will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25th . The Ribbon Cutting is being held by the CTMA program in conjunction with the Army Materiel Command and is being hosted by LTC Lee H. Schiller, Jr., Commander, Sierra Army Depot.

CFAMS is a vehicle management system that is "best practices" of the commercial sector now being applied to DoD. In industrial/distribution center settings it is used in 32 Ford plants, every Target distribution center, widely-used by WalMart, and by Daimler Chrysler, Nissan, Alcoa, John Deere, Caterpillar, and is being implemented by Mercedes-Benz. It is used in over 110 major postal service locations. The implementation of CFAMS at Sierra has been a successful public/private partnership.

Sierra Army Depot in Herlong, California is located approximately an hour's drive from Reno, Nevada. Below is the link to the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno where we have often stayed. NCMS has reserved a block of hotel rooms, which can be booked until Feb. 3 at $49 for a standard room per night, $80 for a Summit (tower) room per night (plus tax). The Group Name is "Sierra Army Depot Ribbon Cutting".

http://www.grandsierraresort.com

The post Invitation to Ribbon Cutting for CTMA project at the Sierra Army Depot appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is currently managing (on behalf of the U.S. Navy) a project designed to convert a legacy, paper-based maintenance manual to an electronic form that is compliant with the S1000D international standard for technical manuals. To better understand the scope and scale of the level of effort, NCMS seeks information on rough order of magnitude cost and an approximate schedule.

Information gathered will be used to structure an eventual award where a contractor will work hand-in-hand with U.S. Navy resources at Keyport Naval Undersea Warfare Center to perform a portion of the conversion and to train Keyport resources in the course of that work Infrastructure for authoring and content management is already in place with Arbortext for authoring and Contenta for content management.

For more Information contact:

Tony Haynes, tonyh@ncms.org (734) 995-4930.

The post NCMS Seeks Information on Conversion of Legacy Paper Technical Manuals to S1000D Compliant Electronic Form appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

The Common ATE project targets the development of a CASS replacement system for Navy Automatic Test Equipment (ATE). The new system will be defined with industry standard interfaces between components to facilitate migration to new ATE components as they emerge. NCMS seeks information on applicable components, migration processes, and technology providers.

Project participation isn’t closed but potential new participants must demonstrate value to the project in terms of prior art or advanced capabilities.

For more Information contact Tony Haynes, tonyh@ncms.org, (734) 995-4930.

The post Common ATE Project Seeks Sources appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

NCMS will be exhibiting at the Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition in Denver, CO on October 27-30, 2008.

Please stop by our booth.

The post 2008 Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium and Exhibition appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) – a collaborative initiative teaming NCMS, its member companies and the Department of Defense (DoD) – held its 9th annual symposium April 7-9, 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland. The CTMA program, administered by the NCMS, is a unique DoD/Industry partnership designed to bring new technologies to the DoD maintenance community to increase warfighter readiness through increased weapon system reliability, improved maintenance procedures, and reduce costs.

The event was marked by the enthusiasm of satisfied CTMA customers whose most pressing maintenance needs had been solved through collaboration with NCMS. Some estimates place the overall value of the work delivered by CTMA at over $1 billion dollars from a DoD investment of $53 million. But most importantly, overall equipment readiness has improved drastically while maintainers have had direct input into the development of much needed equipment.

123►

The post 2008 CTMA Symposium Celebrates Successful Collaborations appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

This event was held to improve the Marine Corps materiel sustainment processes by identifying common maintenance issues and exploring potential technology solutions in use/development in other military services and in commercial industry.

The workshop focused primarily on the needs of USMC Land Systems and maintenance facilities including Marine Corps Maintenance Center (Albany, Georgia) and Marine Corps Maintenance Center (Barstow, California).

The post USMC Regonal Workshop- Quantico Photos appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Limited seats are still available for this event that brings together leading commercial companies and the Department of Defense (DoD) Maintenance & Repair facilities to work on common manufacturing issues.

Plenary session speakers:

Alan Estevez, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Supply Chain Integration) within the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness)

Major General James Pillsbury, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Materiel Command- Sustainment Needs/Challenges Maintaining Army Weapon Systems

Rear Admiral Mark Hugel, Deputy Commander, Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations Naval Sea Systems, U.S. Navy- Naval Sea Systems Perspective

Robert Ernst, Chairman, Joint Council on Aging Aircraft- A Model for Successful Technology Transition

Additional event information:

A table top reception will be held the evening of Tuesday, April 8th that will display new technologies along with award winning CTMA projects. A number of companies will be participating. Reserve your table now!!!!!!!!

A multitude of CTMA projects will be presented that will focus on Operations, Data Management and Readiness/Reliability during the track sessions on Tuesday, April 8th and Wednesday, April 9th.

Brainstorming workshops will be conducted on April 9th. This brainstorming session will focus on identifying future CTMA projects that will further develop new technologies to maintain the readiness of our weapon systems and ultimately protect our warfighters!!!

The post 2008 CTMA Symposium Update appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Two CTMA projects, Smart Machines Pilot Project (SMPP) Phase II and OptiCAM, are near completion and will soon enter the Final Report creation stage.

Final reports should be available mid year 2008.

SMPP piloted the use of real time condition monitoring data gathering and analysis with online presentation of shop status information. An obvious precursor is the existence of a shop floor network capable of real time performance, a rarity in the defense depot environment which emerged as one of the key issues. The project approach was to deploy the Freedom eLog product from Cincinnati Machine that gathers data from control systems or from add-on sensors, processes raw data to extract information, and delivers results to users via web services. Freedom eLog was installed at eight pilot locations, with monitored equipment ranging from modern machine tools with sophisticated controls to heat treat systems using PLC controls to legacy equipment that lacked any sort of formal control system. The various pilots enabled recipients to monitor equipment utilization, identify problem equipment, and reduce time wasted by process inefficiencies. Progress toward implementation of CBM is planned for later phases.

The Freedom eLog contact is:

OptiCAM piloted a complete reverse engineering process, including 3D part scan by Spatial Integrated Systems’ VZX scanner, creation of a surface model from scan data using Siemens’ Imageware, creation of a 3D solid model from the surface model using Siemens’ NX CAD, process workflow control and data management in Siemens Teamcenter PLM, engineering collaboration support using Siemens’ Teamcenter Community, and creation of manufacturing documentation in Siemens NX CAD/CAM. The prototype system has been demonstrated extensively to defense depots.

Project contacts are:

Dr. Ali Farsaie
Spatial Integrated Systems
(301) 610-7965
ali@sisinc.org

Matt Brennan
Siemens PLM
(610) 940-4820
Matt.brennan@siemens.com

The post CTMA Projects Near Completion appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Who Should Attend:

• DoD Maintainers, Logisticians, and Program Managers

• Industry – Defense OEMs, Manufacturing and Technology Provider

Benefits:

• Networking between DoD and industry to identify areas of common

  issues/needs and strategies for solutions

• Industry – gain knowledge of DoD sustainment issues

Preliminary Agenda

• Plenary session with key military to identify critical problems

• Breakout sessions to review emerging and active projects

• Brainstorm workshop to identify new projects

• Table top displays of new technologies

For more information please contact:

Dr. Chuck Ryan, Vice-President for Technology at (734) 995-4905, chuckr@ncms.org

The post NCMS CTMA Symposium- Early Bird Discount until March 14 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Each year the Department of Defense (DoD) spends multi-millions of dollars repairing vehicle components caused by corrosion damage. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) managed a cross-industry collaborative team that developed a new kinetic spray technology championed by the Delphi Research Laboratory. This new technology will impact Department of Defense by significantly reducing corrosion related maintenance across all military services.

“The adoption of this new technology will also benefit automotive and aerospace companies who will save millions of dollars in their facilities,” said NCMS Senior Program Manager Steve Hale.

This achievement was recognized this week at the 2007 Defense Maintenance Conference held on December 3 – 6, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NCMS team was recognized by a “Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award” presented by the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT). The award recognizes outstanding cooperative efforts on technology development between government, industry and academia. NCMS has received six of these awards for their amplified efforts in cross-industry collaboration in the Department of Defense, Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

The NCMS project participants included all the branches of the armed services, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, and the cross-industry companies: The Boeing Company, Delphi Corporation, Ford Motor Company, CenterLine Ltd. and Solidica. The average CTMA technology transition is 12 months to initial operational capability and 24 months to return on investment with a goal for full deployment across all armed services.

“NCMS projects allow us to conduct world-class research through networking and cooperation with today’s brightest and best companies,” said Project Member, CenterLine Ltd.,General Manager Wally Birtch. “The DoD gained the capability to salvage millions of dollars of parts through the project while we have opened up a new channel for sales of our technology to increase aircraft readiness.” “The Kinetic Spray project enabled us to expand our core competencies in Ultrasonic Consolidation of Aluminum to encompass into advanced leading-edge engineering material,” said Anu Gupta, Materials Research Engineer, Solidica located in Ann Arbor, MI.

This new technology has had a significant impact on material readiness by increasing the number of aircraft, ships and ground vehicles that are now available to our war fighters. “The success of the Kinetic Spray project brings us one step closer to realizing our expeditionary maintenance goals. We continuously need to look at ways to implement new technologies and realize their benefits over and across the Department of Defense.” said Greg Kilchenstein, OSD Program Manager, Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.

The post NCMS-CTMA Project Team win Defense Manufacturing Award appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

A variety of landing gear components are failing without having reached their desired service lives. The failures are due primarily to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and fatigue. The objective of this project was to improve the fatigue life and SCC resistance through the application of laser peening technology to selected components.

Team members on this project were the Aging Landing Gear Life Extension Program (ALGLE) at Ogden Air Logistics Center, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of California (Davis), and the Metal Improvement Company. The project was funded and managed through the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) Commercial Technologies Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program.

Cost:

$150.00 Non-members
$100.00 NCMS Member

This final report can be purchased by downloading and faxing this form:

RPT140158

The post Project Final Report: Lasershot Peening of Landing Gear Components appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.

Location:  Quantico, Virginia

The Marine Corps Base Quantico will be co-hosting a combined workshop with the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) and the Joint Technologies Exchange Group (JTEG). The theme for this workshop is “Land Systems Sustainment Technology”. This workshop is intended to bring together DoD’s maintenance/logistics/technologist communities and technology providers within industry. Briefs will include technology needs to improve the performance of Marine Corps maintenance and repair processes. The workshop will be held at The Clubs at Quantico on the Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA on 26-27 February 2008.

The workshop keynote speaker will be Col.William E. Taylor, Program Executive Officer Land Systems, United States Marine Corps. The plenary session will also include speakers on USMC NAVAIR Overview, Depot Maintenance & Technology Needs, Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany GA. and an OSD overview on Sustaining Materiel Readiness.

CTMA is a collaborative effort between the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), its member companies, and the Department of Defense (DoD) to demonstrate, integrate and transition emerging technologies into DoD maintenance facilities through a cost share. The Joint Group on Depot Maintenance (JG-DM) established the JTEG to improve the coordination among DoD depot maintenance activities for the support of new and emerging technologies, and continuous process improvement (CPI) initiatives used to improve the capability and efficiency of the depot maintenance community.

For additional information please contact:

NCMS- Debbie Lilu, 734-995-7038, debral@ncms.org or

JTEG- Steve Siens, 937-656-2774 / DSN986-2774, steve.siens@wpafb.af.mil

The post USMC Regional Workshop- February 26-27, 2008 appeared first on National Center for Manufacturing Sciences.